Some years back, Desiree and I were able to contribute to the spiritual well-being of a friend named Mindy. It’s not what you might think. All we actually did was get a picture for the church directory back in Springfield. But, the photographers were way behind and as we sat for the next 45 minutes, Josiah (then 4 years old) decided to strip off his clothes and take off down the church hallway. When we took our eye off of Micah (then 2 years old), he began to head in another direction. By the time we got in to take our picture, Josiah was crying and a steady stream was pouring out of his nose. He shoved his hand into his mouth in defiance of the photographer. Micah was smiling, but had reached behind Desiree, grabbing a hand full of hair and pulling back. I was more grimacing than smiling as I tried to hold Josiah still. And every time our friend Mindy is feeling a little down, she reaches for that directory and looks up our family picture for a good chuckle.
Family photos are what we want people to see, not necessarily how things are. One of the important aspects of the gospel is to change us from the inside out, not to create the perfect family photo, but to actually cultivate honest, healthy relationships in the family that will serve as anchors for all involved. It is when our family, flawed as it is, works off of the principles that God lays out for the family that we will see a beautiful picture of what God intends for community and for His church.
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